The Barony of Ironspur was buzzing with the focused efficiency of a well-oiled machine. The air was calm, the smithy was quiet, and the Mobile Smelting Units churned out high-grade steel. Elias's 90-day deadline to prove his estate's worth had dwindled to just two days.
The final shipment—a magnificent assembly of twelve Ball Bearing-Optimized Transport Units laden with steel ingots—was ready to roll down the newly cemented road. Elias had calculated the exact weight, greased every axle himself, and ensured Kaelen had memorized the most recent Optimal Route Navigator.
"The production phase is complete, Kaelen. This is the Logistics Phase," Elias declared, staring at the long line of carts. "The only variable left is Duke Vesper. He can't use force, not with the Royal Foundry waiting. He will use administrative malice."
Sir Kaelen stood guard, his armor gleaming, his mind anticipating an ambush of swords. (Internal Monologue: "Administrative malice. I wish he would just say 'assassins.' I have training for assassins.")
As the first cart reached the midpoint of Elias's paved road, the convoy was stopped. Not by bandits, but by a detachment of soldiers accompanied by Clerk Rellis—the same smug, meticulous clerk Elias had defeated with tax forms and density protocols in previous chapters. Rellis had brought a contingent of officialRoyal Weighmasters and Quality Auditors.
"Baron Thorne's shipment has been flagged for Mandatory Quality and Load Inspection," Rellis announced, flourishing a scroll that was far longer and more detailed than any previous document. "We must ensure the Barony is not attempting to defraud the Royal Foundry with low-grade, unauthorized materials."
Elias grinned, a dark, cynical expression. "Mandatory inspection? Excellent. I welcome the opportunity to show the crown the Structural Integrity and Optimal Load Capacity of my vehicles."
The ambush wasn't a fight; it was a bureaucratic blockade. The Royal Weighmasters began the process of meticulously unloading, inspecting, and weighing every single ingot.
Rellis was meticulous. He ordered his men to check the weight of every ingot against the Baronial Manifest Tablet. This was the moment Vesper planned to seize the cargo by proving a discrepancy.
However, Elias had meticulously ensured Standardization.
"Clerk Rellis, you will find every ingot is marked with the Baronial Production Stamp, and every single one is within 0.5 Baronial Pounds of the listed weight," Elias stated calmly. "My production process is calibrated to eliminate human error."
The weighmasters spent the next four hours weighing ingots. Rellis grew increasingly frustrated. Every ingot was exactly 45.3 Baronial Pounds. The manifest was flawless.
Rellis moved to his final administrative attack: quality. "The assay report states the steel must contain a minimum of 0.8% carbon. I suspect this is merely low-grade iron."
Elias smiled. He pointed to the side of the road, where a small, efficient Mobile Testing Forge (an invention he had hastily conceived after the oil scare) sat ready.
"We anticipated your concern for quality, Clerk. We shall perform an immediate, on-site Brinell Hardness Test using this small, standardized unit. You may select any ingot you wish."
Rellis, caught off guard by the sheer competence, chose an ingot. The test was performed, and the clear measurement proved the steel was high-grade.
MAOI Alert:
[Compliance Factor: 100%. Administrative Malice Neutralized.]
Rellis was utterly defeated. Elias's organization was impenetrable. He couldn't seize the shipment on weight or quality. But Rellis still had one card left: time.
"Very well, Baron Thorne. The cargo is compliant," Rellis conceded, sweat beading on his brow. "But the Writ of Inspection requires that the entire convoy must be sealed with a Royal Warrant Seal, which must be manually applied to all twelve carts. And... I seem to have only brought one sealing wax kit."
Rellis pulled out a small, meager kit. He then announced that, by law, each seal must dry for one full hour before the cart could proceed.
"This will add twelve hours to your schedule, Baron. You will miss the deadline by a few precious hours," Rellis sneered. "The Duke will regretfully have to seize your lease for non-delivery."
Elias's face, for the first time, showed genuine, crushing panic. Administrative malice had found its ultimate weapon: the slow, necessary process of drying wax.
Kaelen stepped forward, hand on his sword, ready for a fight. "My Lord, we cannot allow this petty, dishonorable delay!"
"Stop, Kaelen! It's the law!" Elias hissed. He looked at the twelve carts, the single wax kit, and the impending deadline. He had engineered everything perfectly, only to be defeated by vapor pressure.
Then, his eyes fell upon the Mobile Testing Forge and the immense heat it was still generating. Elias's scumbag grin returned, now wider and more terrifying than ever.
"Clerk Rellis," Elias said smoothly. "The law requires the wax to dry. It does not forbid Optimized Drying Procedures. Kaelen! Bring the first cart's seal here! We are going to use the Principle of Accelerated Curing through Convective Heat Transfer!"
Elias grabbed the single wax seal, applied it, and then held the seal directly over the heat exhaust vent of his testing forge. The wax dried to a perfect, hard seal in less than three minutes.
Rellis stared, his face frozen in horror. He couldn't object; the wax was dry.
Elias spent the next hour working with brutal efficiency, sealing all twelve carts in under thirty-five minutes. He stood before the clerk, his face a picture of victorious, greasy competence.
"Your delay is neutralized, Clerk," Elias said, tossing Rellis a document certifying the "Accelerated Curing Procedure." "The Barony of Ironspur is now fully compliant and proceeding to delivery. Farewell."
As the twelve carts rolled onto the remaining unpaved road toward the capital, Elias leaned on Kaelen, exhaustion finally hitting him.
"We did it, Kaelen," he whispered. "We beat the Duke, not with magic, but with optimal thermodynamics."